Thursday, July 08, 2004

Roll Call reports that party leaders in the Senate "are gaming out strategy in anticipation of next week's battle over gay marriage -- a showdown prompted by Republicans' desire for a wedge issue they can use with undecided voters in November." Roll Call ads, "The GOP leadership is currently engaged in its whip count, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist...said he doesn't expect to have an accurate assessment until the 'early part of next week' when the chamber turns its attention to the issue. Frist did add that the leadership's efforts would ultimately focus on '10 people who could swing' their vote either way on the issue. The GOP leadership is expected to exert intense pressure on each of the 51 Republican Senators - even those who would ultimately oppose the amendment - to help overcome a procedural hurdle that Democrats may use to prevent a vote."

The Hill notes that Democrats "may let the GOP leadership off the hook. Democratic leaders are considering whether to let the GOP have a direct vote on the constitutional amendment. While the Democrats are still considered likelier to force a cloture vote that the GOP is expected to lose, some Democrats believe that an up-or-down vote on the issue would be more beneficial, according to three separate sources, all who requested anonymity."

I think the latter is less likely. The Democrats would prefer a failed vote on the amendment itself, if possible, bfore the convention.

The problem is, that it would force Senators in contested races, Daschle for example, and outgoing Senators, Graham, Edwards, Breaux, to go on the record on a topic which they do not want to do.

Stalling has always been the default position and that will likely continue.

Expect several failed cloture votes on this issue as November 2, nears.

1 Comments:

As Lady Astor purportedly said, "I don't care what they do as long as they don't frighten the horses [in the street]". Gay unions will not impact hetero marriages: blame TV for the state of marriage. A gay couple, closeted, lived next door for years w/o any impact on my kids or the neighbors' kids. Give them civil rights, for heaven's sake, and tell them they're damned or "fundamentally disordered" but leave them alone! Is this a topic of national import? No, but it's red meat used as a red herring! to distract from more serious problems.